Some time back we had posted a piece by CA Rishi Khator titled "Attitude Matters For Money Management". Here is the second part of this article.
Create your Future. Imagine it. Make a realistic Plan. Do something today to Help it Happen.
Raheja is a cousin of mine. He resides with his wife and two children in Hyderabad. He is self employed. Raheja is always worried about how they are going to pay for their children's higher education in USA. His children are presently aged 8and 10 years. He obsesses having bigger house, bigger car and is worried about not having enough funds for his children marriage and their own retirement.
Raheja was visiting Kolkata on one of his business trips. He came to see me
and I noticed the stress and strain in his face and voice. I told him about my
observation. He readily confessed about his mental frame. I asked him to join
us for dinner so that we can have some time together.
Over dinner, Raheja confided that he is always worried about his "Financial Future" and hardly enjoys his "Family Present". He has forgotten why he is working so hard on the first place. He is living as if making money is his sole objective as compared to loving and supporting his family with the money that he earns.
I explained him - He needs to live each day thoroughly rather than
second guessing The Future. If you take steps to create Future, the
Future is more known to you and you feel less anxious in the present.
Do not be so worried about Future that you stop enjoying today. When you live too much in the Future, you feel lost and anxious. We should not live in Future but help create the Future.
If you want to help create the Future, begin by first enjoying today. Appreciate and express gratitude to what you have Right Now. Then imagine a better Future. Make a realistic plan to make it happen. Do something today towards achieving it.
Planning and doing something today to help it happen reduces anxiety and uncertainty. You know what you are doing, why you are doing because you see it leading to the future you have planned.
No one can predict or control Future. However by Imagining it, Planning
for it, Working each day for it, you are being less anxious today and the
Future is more known to you.
My belief on creating your own future is enshrined in following chain -
Imagine
Plan
Believe
Act
Expect
Receive
Appreciate
A common thread binding the above chain is Discipline. Discipline is the bridge between our dreams and our Accomplishment.
Raheja returned to Hyderabad feeling much better. He realized that as long as the children and his wife see that they are happier together, they are going to be happy irrespective of what house they live in or what car they drive. Two months later he sent me a photograph of his entire family. The photograph showed them vacationing happily in Ooty.
I believe that the string attaching Past, Present and Future is the Purpose. Purpose provides you with necessary stimuli and explains why in life. Purpose
makes our efforts more meaningful.
CA Rishi Khator
Rishi Khator (FCA, CPA, CIFRS) is Chartered Accountant based in Kolkata. He is author of the book on Personal Finance – Right Now : How to be Financially Strong plus Happy All Along. He believes Financial Literacy is a critical like skill. He has been propagating it through workshops, events and his writings. He has reached out to working adults, college students, school children and homemakers for creating awareness in Financial Literacy.
He is also founder and partner of Chunder Khator & Associates, Chartered Accountants. The firm presently has operations in Kolkata, Mumbai, Singapore and Bangkok.
